Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Regency Centers Corporation (REG) vs Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | REG | 9.7% revenue growth vs PECO's 8.4% |
| Value | REG | Lower P/E (32.1x vs 56.4x) |
| Quality / Margins | REG | 26.4% net margin vs PECO's 9.9% |
| Stability / Safety | PECO | Beta 0.40 vs REG's 0.52 |
| Dividends | REG | 3.4% yield, 4-year raise streak, vs PECO's 2.5% |
| Momentum (1Y) | PECO | +9.0% vs REG's +6.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | REG | 3.2% ROA vs PECO's 1.6%, ROIC 6.1% vs 6.7% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Regency Centers is a real estate investment trust that owns, operates, and develops grocery-anchored shopping centers in affluent suburban neighborhoods. It generates revenue primarily through rental income from its portfolio of retail properties — with anchor tenants like Publix, Whole Foods, and Kroger providing stable cash flow — and also earns development fees from new projects. The company's competitive advantage lies in its high-quality portfolio concentrated in affluent, densely populated trade areas with strong demographics and limited new retail development.
Phillips Edison & Company is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates grocery-anchored neighborhood shopping centers across the United States. It makes money primarily through collecting rent from retail tenants — with grocery stores serving as anchor tenants that drive consistent foot traffic — and through property management fees. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized focus on necessity-based retail properties in strong markets and its vertically-integrated operating platform that allows for efficient portfolio management.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
REG leads in 1 of 6 categories — strongest in Analyst Outlook. 5 categories are tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
REG is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.6B annually — 1.9x PECO's $824M. REG is the more profitable business, keeping 26.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to PECO's 9.9%. On growth, PECO holds the edge at +77.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | REGRegency Centers C… | PECOPhillips Edison &… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.6B | $824M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.3B | $643M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $411M | $82M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $815M | $201M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +64.6% | +75.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +58.0% | +47.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +26.4% | +9.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +52.2% | +24.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +3.5% | +77.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +7.4% | +135.6% |
Valuation Metrics
At 37.4x trailing earnings, REG trades at a 51% valuation discount to PECO's 77.0x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, PECO's 10.6x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than REG's 14.4x.
| Metric | REGRegency Centers C… | PECOPhillips Edison &… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $14.4B | $4.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $19.4B | $7.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 37.44x | 77.02x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 32.13x | 56.44x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 4.63x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 14.44x | 10.61x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 9.58x | 7.47x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.10x | 2.04x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 18.22x | 20.61x |
Profitability & Efficiency
REG delivers a 5.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $6 in annual profit, vs $3 for PECO. REG carries lower financial leverage with a 0.73x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to PECO's 0.80x.
| Metric | REGRegency Centers C… | PECOPhillips Edison &… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +5.8% | +3.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.2% | +1.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +6.1% | +6.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +8.1% | +9.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.73x | 0.80x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $5.0B | $2.1B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $56M | $5M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $5.0B | $2.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 5.13x | 4.45x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PECO five years ago would be worth $77,580 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $16,665 for REG. Over the past 12 months, PECO leads with a +9.0% total return vs REG's +6.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors REG at 11.5% vs PECO's 8.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | REGRegency Centers C… | PECOPhillips Edison &… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +16.2% | +12.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +6.7% | +9.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +38.6% | +25.8% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +66.6% | +675.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +45.5% | +675.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +11.5% | +8.0% |
Risk & Volatility
PECO is the less volatile stock with a 0.40 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than REG's 0.52 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | REGRegency Centers C… | PECOPhillips Edison &… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.52x | 0.40x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $79.08 | $40.06 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $63.44 | $32.40 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.9% | +98.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 70.9 | 73.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.1M | 771K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates REG as "Buy" and PECO as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 1.5% upside for REG (target: $80) vs 0.3% for PECO (target: $39). For income investors, REG offers the higher dividend yield at 3.39% vs PECO's 2.49%.
| Metric | REGRegency Centers C… | PECOPhillips Edison &… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $80.22 | $39.40 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 32 | 13 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +3.4% | +2.5% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 4 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $2.68 | $0.98 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.5% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regency Centers Cor… (REG) | 100 | 130.19 | +30.2% |
| Phillips Edison & C… (PECO) | 100 | 630.43 | +530.4% |
Phillips Edison & C… (PECO) returned +676% over 5 years vs Regency Centers Cor… (REG)'s +67%. A $10,000 investment in PECO 5 years ago would be worth $77,580 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regency Centers Cor… (REG) | $591M | $1.5B | +154.3% |
| Phillips Edison & C… (PECO) | $242M | $661M | +173.2% |
Regency Centers Corporation's revenue grew from $591M (2015) to $1.5B (2024) — a 10.9% CAGR. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.'s revenue grew from $242M (2015) to $661M (2024) — a 11.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regency Centers Cor… (REG) | 25.4% | 26.6% | +4.9% |
| Phillips Edison & C… (PECO) | 5.5% | 9.5% | +71.7% |
Regency Centers Corporation's net margin went from 25% (2015) to 27% (2024). Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.'s net margin went from 6% (2015) to 9% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regency Centers Cor… (REG) | 69.2 | 35 | -49.4% |
| Phillips Edison & C… (PECO) | 254.2 | 73.5 | -71.1% |
Regency Centers Corporation has traded in a 22x–175x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~37x. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. has traded in a 74x–254x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~77x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regency Centers Cor… (REG) | 1.36 | 2.11 | +55.1% |
| Phillips Edison & C… (PECO) | 0.22 | 0.51 | +131.8% |
Regency Centers Corporation's EPS grew from $1.36 (2015) to $2.11 (2024) — a 5% CAGR. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.22 (2015) to $0.51 (2024) — a 10% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Regency Centers Corporation generated $790M FCF in 2024 (+99% vs 2021). Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. generated $240M FCF in 2024 (+28% vs 2021).
REG vs PECO: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is REG or PECO a better buy right now?
Regency Centers Corporation (REG) offers the better valuation at 37.4x trailing P/E (32.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Regency Centers Corporation (REG) a "Buy" — based on 32 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — REG or PECO?
On trailing P/E, Regency Centers Corporation (REG) is the cheapest at 37.4x versus Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. at 77.0x. On forward P/E, Regency Centers Corporation is actually cheaper at 32.1x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — REG or PECO?
Over the past 5 years, Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO) delivered a total return of +675.8%, compared to +66.6% for Regency Centers Corporation (REG). A $10,000 investment in PECO five years ago would be worth approximately $78K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PECO returned +675.8% versus REG's +45.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — REG or PECO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.40β versus Regency Centers Corporation's 0.52β — meaning REG is approximately 31% more volatile than PECO relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Regency Centers Corporation (REG) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 73% versus 80% for Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — REG or PECO?
Regency Centers Corporation (REG) is the more profitable company, earning 26.6% net margin versus 9.5% for Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. — meaning it keeps 26.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: REG leads at 64.4% versus 64.3% for PECO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — PECO leads at 71.2%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is REG or PECO more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Regency Centers Corporation (REG) trades at 32.1x forward P/E versus 56.4x for Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. — 24.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for REG: 1.5% to $80.22.
07Which pays a better dividend — REG or PECO?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Regency Centers Corporation (REG) offers the highest yield at 3.4%, versus 2.5% for Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO).
08Is REG or PECO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.40), 2.5% yield, +675.8% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (PECO: +675.8%, REG: +45.5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between REG and PECO?
Both stocks operate in the Real Estate sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: REG is a mid-cap income-oriented stock; PECO is a small-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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